Israel Defense Forces ✔

IDF: The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, held a consultation today (Monday) regarding the film “NAZA,” with the participation of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, MG Tamir Yadai; Head of the Operations Directorate, MG Itzik Cohen; Military Advocate General, MG Itai Ofir; Commander of the Israeli Air Force, MG Omer Tishler; Commander of Unit 8200, BG A.; IDF Spokesperson, BG Effie Defrin; and additional commanders. The Chief of the General Staff stated that the film constitutes a deliberate attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the IDF and the State of Israel. He further stated that the IDF operates in accordance with international law, the IDF’s ethical code and values, and is at the forefront of efforts to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians, while maintaining a significantly lower ratio of civilian casualties to terrorists than that of other militaries around the world. From the remarks of the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir: “Based on what has been published thus far, this is not a film offering criticism of the IDF, nor is it an attempt to establish the truth. It is based on blood libels, deliberate distortions of reality, and grave, false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders. This is an attack on the State of Israel, not only on the IDF. It adopts the narratives of those who hate Israel, it defames our soldiers and commanders, and seeks to portray the IDF as deliberately acting unlawfully. This is a dangerous attempt to deny us the legitimacy to defend ourselves against the worst of our enemies—and, in doing so, to place IDF soldiers and commanders at genuine risk. We will not allow IDF soldiers to be made targets through lies and blood libels. Such an attempt must be confronted decisively, using every tool at our disposal—legal, command, and public diplomacy.” The Chief of the General Staff emphasized the need for a broad national and international public diplomacy effort, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, National Public Diplomacy Directorate, and other relevant bodies. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chief of the General Staff directed that a series of measures be taken: - A multi-agency, multidisciplinary team, led by the Head of the Planning Directorate, will be established to formulate courses of action and tools for addressing false allegations against the IDF and its soldiers, in cooperation with experts from Israel and around the world. - The Chief of the General Staff instructed the Military Advocate General to examine and advance possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in it, including in light of the dissemination of false allegations against IDF soldiers and the potential implications for their personal safety and for Israel’s national security. - Information-security aspects and the possible involvement of individuals in the unauthorized disclosure of classified materials used in the production of the film will be examined. The Chief of the General Staff emphasized that the IDF will use every tool at its disposal to protect its soldiers, commanders, and combat troops, as well as the reputation of the Israel Defense Forces.